Severe weather phenomena present danger to both life and property. For instance, the wind and flying debris generated by tornadoes and hurricanes can destroy buildings, such as homes, schools, farm houses, and office buildings, and can injure or kill persons within them. Although protective structures have been proposed to protect against such harm, they tend to be made of heavy and/or expensive materials that typically do not integrate well with conventional structures. It therefore can be appreciated that it would be desirable to have alternative structures for protecting people and property from injury caused by severe weather.